wishes..hopes..dreams for ALL!

This amazing quote needs no blog-schpeel! It says it all...




Until next blog..

putting the apron back on...

I don't know about you, but I tend to go in waves of wanting to cook all the time to "Honey can you just grab something on your way home!" It seems I get stuck in the rut of cooking the same ole same ole...pinterest & cookbooks aside, I still always seem to cook the usual, get bored with it all, & just opt for carry-out. But carry-out really does add up and let's be honest, it has to be the worst quality of food/ingredients. So I decided to start making a menu list every Sunday, then go through what I need for it all and make my store list. Then on Monday, Miss Busy A and I are off to the races, I mean store(s). 


That's the other reason I get discouraged on cooking...I can NOT buy everything we need at one store. Sure WalMart is convenient, and yes they claim they in fact have everything from tires, to candles, to a new iPad, & did you forget you were out of milk because they have that too, all while picking up a new pair of gym pants...but they do NOT have it all people, they just DON'T! I buy some things organic, that W-Mart doesn't carry, as well as Method cleaners, nor do they have Miss Busy A's baby food pouches, so I basically have to go to a)W-Mart b) Whole Food's & c) Target...not exactly my idea of fun for a 14mo. old! Note to Big Wig developers, put all 3 in ONE shopping center! I know not only myself, but many other wives & mommy's would GREATLY appreciate it!


Whewwww...you still with me? Sorry :D Back to putting the apron back on! I decided when making this weeks meals to bust out the old trusty BHG Cookbook (Celebrating the Promise) Edition. I flipped through searching for new, semi-easy, toddler AND hubby approved meals. I came across Ranch Pork Roast....now our family doesn't eat pork or beef, so I thought this one would work well with Chicken, and inspired me to make Creamy Ranch Chicken! As you can see I tweaked it a little, as well as made a couple of discoveries, 1)this could be an amazing soup and 2)would be amazing over baked potatoes!!! Hope you enjoy because I know we did!!!!

Until next blog...

OH shoot!!!!

Sometimes you follow a recipe to a T...other times you make changes that you want...and on occasion you have no choice but to make substitutions because you can't find what you need! The latter happened to me today. Earlier this morning I was feeding my Pinterest addiction. (is there a support group for that yet?!) I was making my list for Target (just a quick run for a few things, rarely do I or you, make it out of there with a "few" things but I make a list to help...) ANYWAYS, making my list & pinning all at the same time, when I came across a Smore's cookie recipe...one click led to another click & before I knew it I stumbled upon a Oreo Pudding Cookie Recipe. Sounded pretty good & really quick, plus easy. I thought they'd make a nice addition for after dinner tonight.


So added to my list 

• Instant Oreo Pudding Mix
• Hershey's Cookies n Cream Bars
• Chocolate Chips

Easy enough, Target has a little of everything so I'll just pick those up....WRONG! No big deal, I figure I'll just swing by the Walgreen's not too far from our house, because it's never easy to just run into Walmart...ehhh, F A I L. For the record Walgreen's does NOT carry chocolate chips or the Oreo Pudding Mix, just the standard vanilla or chocolate. So I start to make substitutions...I grab Oreos, Vanilla Pudding Mix, & Hershey Drops (chocolates without a candy shell)..so the ever so friendly cashier asks what I am making, I tell her well, Oreo Pudding Cookies, but I am substituting almost everything because I can't find this or that. She says you should just get one of those Jello Instant Oreo Desserts...I like the way she thinks, I said do you have it? Of course they don't, but she said that Dollar Store right over there will! So we put everything back & off I go again. Last stop I tell myself or we aren't having dessert tonight.


So as you probably can guess they had the No Bake Oreo Dessert & the chocolate chips or I wouldn't be writing this blog right now. I must admit though I was nervous to make these substitutions since I've never made the original recipe, but I must say in the words of my sister "OH shoot these are good!"

Hope you enjoy! Until next blog...

[join the fight]

Brace yourself...it's that time of year where everything starts to turn pink! (obviously I don't mind one bit!!) Before you roll your eyes, know that it is for a VERY good cause! Breast cancer awareness is so important in today's day in age. Did you know that ONE woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every THREE minutes in the US? An even scarier statistic is that ONE woman will die because of it every THIRTEEN minutes in the US. The good news is that the survival rate has increased drastically since 1960, but the bad news is, there still is no cure.

However there is hope! With early detection and heightened awareness (thanks to organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure) lives are being saved every day. Everyone can help make a difference. Whether you run in the race, donate money, buy pink products, or simply spread the word, every single person reached is one more possibility. I hope that you will share this and the pictures with everyone you know. 

Target Pink Products

Cook for the Cure

Warriors in Pink

Until next blog... 

dirty laundry

We have a couple of rooms in the house left to finish on our list: 1)being the laundry room 2)being the master bath & closet.

I've started adding some decor to the laundry room because all it lacks are the cabinets and the sink..Now for a laundry room you can really go for whatever look you want. It's one of those spaces in your home where not everyone is going to see it, but it is where you will be spending a lot of time. So you might as well have a fun, enjoyable space to work in!

For me, my inspiration came from my washer & dryer. I fell in love with them the very first time I laid my eyes on them. That's right, love at first sight does exist! Now I realize not everyone is going to have a colorful teal W&D that can set the decor in motion, and that's okay! If your W&D are a neutral color, you can really go in any direction you wish. But for me, I went for a look that involved jewel tones because of the teal...

I will do a followup when it is complete because I have it all envisioned and planned. I just have to wait for the cabinet and sink to be able to complete my look! But here is what I have so far...

{the details}

1) curtain- multi pattern stripe fabric: sewn by none other than little o' me! ((sewing is a new adventure/hobby I am currently learning and enjoying I might add!))

2) vintage laundry prints- frames from: a)pink 5X7 baroque style frames and b) teal 5X7 recatangles

3) chandelier-((the key to making laundry time more enjoyable, I promise!!)) If you haven't tried placing chandeliers anywhere other than above a dining room table, I challenge you to give it a try...they spark a little happiness and a touch of glamour to any space! Other places you will find them in our house: over the kitchen sink, dining table, master closet, entry, laundry, & nursery..I would probably put them in every single space in the house but I realize it might be a little much :D And don't let a chandelier intimidate you, not all of them are expensive. Shop around, check places like lowes, home depot or garbe's...or even online. You can find fabulous chandeliers that aren't too gaudy or expensive, so don't let that discourage you either. I know some people think chandelier=gaudy or expensive but it really doesn't!

So that's where our laundry room stands right now! I can not wait to finish the look and have it all complete. But for now you can find me washing our dirty laundry under the glow of a chandelier darling!

Until next blog!